Machine for operating upon soles



March 5,.1935. J H, sMlTH 1,993,119

MACHINE FOR OPERATING UPON SOLES 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 23, 1930 Fig.1.

5% 1'98 270 ZZB 6 203 23 196 I 206 23 1 192 13 2 1 i an 1 O 280 '2 gg 6B 'm March 5, 1935. J. H. SMITH 1,993,119

MACHINE FOR OPERATING UPON SOLES Filed Oct. 23, 1930 4 SheetsSheet 2 20 212 m; Q 228 8 1 I98 V 196 WVEMUH. 122W.

March 5, 1935. $M|TH 1,993,119

MACHINE FOR OPERATING UPON SOLES Filed Oct. 25, l950 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fig. 3.

//\/VE/\/ ma. 'JQQMJA- hayna 2s 'a w March 5, 1935. J. H. SMITH MACHINE FOR OPERATING UPON SOLES 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 File'd Oct. 25, 1950 A VENTUR 'IOQMAL Shim d operations.

Patented Mar. 5, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Shoe Machinery Corporation, Paterson, N. 3., a corporation of New Jersey Application October 23,

25 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in machines for operating upon soles and. is herein illustrated as embodied in a channeling machine of the type in which the marginal portion of. a sole is advanced continuously past a'channel knife and a grooving tool by. means of a work support.- ing feed wheel, such machines being commonly employed for channeling and grooving outsoles for McKay-sewed shoes.

The general object of the present invention is to reorganize machines of the type above referred to and to improve the construction of various parts of such machines for the purpose of making the machines more efiicient and reliable in 0poration.

To the accomplishment of this object one feature of the invention consists in the provision, in a channeling machine, of a channel knife and an edge gageroll eachrestrained against movement in directions widthwise of the edge of a sole being operated upon, and a work-supporting feed wheel capable of yielding to accommodate variations in the thickness of the work and having driving engagement with said gage roll. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention the feed wheel is vertically movable and is constructed and arranged to co-operate with a vertically immovable presser foot to feed a sole through the machine while the channel knife and the edge gage roll are vertically immovable and they are arranged in such intimate relation that there is substantially no gap between them into which any portion of the sole margin can be forced so as to interfere in any way with effectivefeeding and cutting The illustrated construction is further such as to permit horizontaladjustment of the channel knife and a grooving tool which is associated therewith, and means is provided whereby the operator may effect such adjustment during the operation of the machine, thereby enabling the machine to cut a channel which is wider or located farther from the sole edge at the shank than around the forepart of the sole. The illustrated feed wheel has frictional driving engagement with the edge gage roll and the feed wheel is arranged with its axis inclined and its periphery slightly tapered to impart to the sole edge a tendency tohug the gage roll as the sole is fed. Moreover, the feed wheel, as herein shown, is divided axially into two separate sections or disks each of which is adapted to have peripheral feeding engagement with the work, the construction being such that, while .each section is positivelydriven during operation along a substantially straight portion of the sole margin, never- 1930, Serial No. 490,689

tool is oscillated about the longitudinal axis .of

its tubular blade. The invention further consists in features of construction and in combinations and arrange.- ments of parts hereinafter described and claimed, the advantages of which will be obvious to those skilledin the art. 1

Inthe accompanying drawings, i

Fig. i is a view, in side elevation, ofa machine constructedin accordance with the present inven# tion; a I Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the machine; a Fig. 3 is a. vertical sectional view of the machine;

.Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the feed wheel showing also the relation of the feed wheel to the edgegage roll and the operating tools when a sole is being channeled;-

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the edge gage roll and associated parts; -,Fig. '6 is a detailed elevational view of part of the clutch mechanism;

Fig. '7 is .a detailed sectional view on the, line VIL-VII of 'Fig. 3; vand Fig. 8. is a fragmentary sectional view, taken. along the line VIIIVI'II of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings, theoperative parts of the machine comprise a work supporting feed r011 :12, an e ease roll 14, a channelknife 16,.a grooving tool in theform of a tubularknife 18; and a presser foot 20. ,Asshovvn, the channel knife, the grooving tool and the presser foot are carried. by a head 2-2 which is supported by a low f amefii, T e fr m 24 ssupp rted y a-b se 8 wh ch i ad e to e t upon a wo bench. As w t hannel k i e th oovnst-Q 1 and he re sr .IQ t are p o te a by e a a e ca r r and th s ra a ier e mou t d in he hea 2 i 1 a 1 1 1 a o have no vertical movement; during operation relatively to the head 22 but with provision for in.- dependent vertical adjustment thereon so that the parts carried thereby maybe accurately posi-r tioned vertically relatively to each other and. to theedge gage roll 14. :The head 22 isslidable horizontally with respect to the frame 24 for the purpose of varying the relation of the channel and groove transversely with respect to the sole edge at different parts of the sole. The head 22 is immovable vertically, however, and consequently the channel knife. the grooving tool and the presser foot are each incapable of upward yielding movement during operation of the machine. The feed roll 12 and the edge gage roll 14 are supported by the hollow frame 24, the feed roll being carried by a slide 26 which is spring-pressed upwardly so that the work will be gripped between the feed wheel 12 and the presser foot 20, the slide 26 being capable of downward yielding movement in the frame 24 to accommodate variations in the,

thickness of the work. The "frame 24 houses driving mechanism for positively rotating the feed wheel. r I

The feed wheel 12 comprises three disk-like sections 32, 34 and 36, which are disposed in coaxial .side-by-side relation. The section 32 is formed integrallywith a driven shaft 38 which is journaled in an inclined bearing 40 in the slide 26. The feed wheel sections 34 and 36 are mounted on. ball bearings 42 and 44, respectively,

carried by the shaft 38 and the periphery of each of these sections is inclined transversely with respect to the axis of the feed wheel for engagement with ahorizcntally disposed'sole. Suitable teeth 46 are formed inthe periphery of each feed wheel section 34 and 36 to provide for positive feeding engagement withthe work. The section 32 is made of slightly smaller diameter than the sections 34 and 36 sothat it will not engage the work'and it is provided with a lateral beveled face 48 for frictionally engaging the periphery of the edge gage roll for the purpose of rotating the latter and thus enabling it to assist in feeding the work. The feed wheel sections 34 and 36 are driven by a pin 50 which projects from the side of the section, 32 and extends through a slot 52 in'the section 34 and into a groove 54 in the section 36. The slot 52 and the groove 54 is each of arcuate form, being curved about an axis coincident with the axis of the feed wheel shaft 38, so as to permit a limited amount of free relative rotational movement of thefeed disk sections 34 and 36 to accommodate the swingingmovement of a sole as the sole is fed to advance its margin past the channel knife. The slot 52 and the groove 54 are each long enough to permit sufficient relative movement of the feed disk sections to accommodate the maximum' amount of sole swinging movement which may be required. Annular thrust collars 56 are inserted in the inner sides of the sections 34 and 36 for engagement with the outersurfaces of the adjacent sections 34 and, 32, respectively, to receive the sidethrust of the feed wheel sections. A retaining ring 58, secured by screws 60 to the outer end of the shaft 38 serves to hold the bearings 42 and 44 in place. 1

From the foregoing it will be seen that the work-engaging portion of the feed wheel 12consists of the two feeding sections or disks 34 and 36 of which the section 34, which engages nearest to the edge of the sole, and the section 36, which engages farthest from the sole edge, are each adapted to turn freely relatively to the common driving pin 50 to accommodate swinging movements of the sole. Thus, as illustrated clearly by Fig. 8, when a concave portion of a sole margin is being operated uponthe sole is positively advanced by means of the feeding section or disk 34 (which at that time is being driven by engage-s ment of the pin 50 with the end of the slot 52) while the disk 36 is turning freely at increased speed under the influence of the sole itself, such turning of the section 36 being permitted by the groove 54 and enabling the portion of the sole engaged by the section 36 to travel faster than the 7 portion engaged by the section 34 as required to accommodate the swing of the sole. When, however, a convex portion of the sole margin, such as the toe portion thereof, is being operated upon, the disk 36 becomes the driving element of the feed wheel while the disk 34 is enabled to turn freely at increased speed by the action of the sole as the sole is being swung in advancing the toe past the operating tools.

a The feed wheel slide 26 is mounted in vertical ways in the frame 24 and is urged upwardly by two coiled springs 64 housed in sockets 66 in the slide, the springs being compressed between a crossbar 68 and the upper ends of the sockets 66. The ends of the crossbar 68 rest upon nuts '70 on vertical screw-threaded rods 72 which are fixedly secured to the frame 24 and which extend through openings in the crossbar 68, the nuts 70 affording a convenient means for adjusting the compression of the springs 64. To facilitate insertion and removal of the work, the slide 26, together with the feed wheel 12, may be lowered against the force of the springs 64 by means of a foot treadle 74 connected by a link '76 with the lower end of a'rod '73 the upper end of which'is secured to the slide 26. The rod 78 is slidable in a bearing in a fixed crossbar 80 which is secured to the lower ends of the rods 72. A nut 82 on the lower threaded extremity of the rod 78 bears against the crossbar 80 to limit the upward movement of the slide 26 and thus to determine the normal vertical position of the feed wheel 12.

The feed wheel 12 is adapted to be driven by a combined power and hand drive mechanism which will now be described. A gear 86, secured to the lower end of theinclined feed wheel shaft 38, meshes with a gear 88 secured to one end of a horizontal shaft 90 carried by the slide 26. The shaft 90 is retained in its bearing in the slide 26 by means of a collar 92'afiixed to the forward end of the shaft. The shaft 90 is driven from a horizontal shaft 94 that is journaled in bearings 96 in the frame 24 and driving connections between the shafts 90 and 94 are arranged to permitvertical movement of the slide 26, these connections comprising a link 98 and two universal joints 100 and 102 which are secured to the shafts 90 and 94, respectively, and to which the ends of the link 98 are pivoted. A gear 104 fast on the shaft 94 meshes with a driving pinion 106 which is rotatably mounted on a sleeve or hollow shaft 108 journaled in a suitable bearing in the frame 24. The pinion 106 is held against axial movement in one direction by a shoulder 107 onthe frame, and in the opposite direction by a collar 109 which is fixed upon the shaft 108 and .which bears againsta flange 110 on the pinion 106. The hollow shaft 108 has secured thereto a belt pulley 111 which is adapted to be connected by a belt 112 with any suitable source of power. The driving pinion 106 is adapted to be selectively connected with either the power-driven hollow shaft 108 0r with a shaft 114 which is journaled within the hollow shaft 108 and which is adapted for axial sliding movement relatively to the latter. The shaft 114 has affixed to its outer end a crank 116 by means of which the shaft 114 isadaptedto bemanually rotated.

The means for selectively connecting the driving pinion 106 with the power-driven shaft 108 or with the hand-driven shaft .114 comprises a driven clutch member .118 and two driving clutch elements and 122. The driven clutch member 118 is rotatably mounted on the power-driven hollow shaft 108 but is constrained to move axially with the hand-driven shaft 114 by means of a pin 124 which is carried by the clutch member 118 and projects into an annular groove 126 in the shaft 114. The drivingclutch element 120 comprises a series of teeth which are formed at the inner end of the hollow shaft 108 and are adapted to engage corresponding teeth v128 formed on the driven clutch member 118. The driving clutch member 122 comprises asleeve which is splined to the shaft 114 as indicated at 130 andwhich is provided with clutch teeth 132 adapted to engage corresponding teeth 134 formed on the driven clutch member 118. A yoke 131 (see also Fig. 7) secured to the frame 24 engages within an annular groove 138 in the clutch member 122 to hold the latter against axial movement. The driven clutch member 118 is connected to drive the pinion 106 by means of a driving lug 136 which issecured by a screw 138 to the clutch member 118 and arranged to engage 2, lug 140 on the flange 110 of the pinion 106, the arrangement being such that the driving lug 186 is maintained in operative engagement with the lugs 140 irrespective of the axial position of the driven clutch member 118. A coiledspring 146 surrounds the shaft 114 between the outerend of the hollow shaft 108 and the hub of the crank 116 and normally maintains the shaft 114 and the driven clutch memher 118 in the axial positions shown in Fig. 3, wherein the clutch member 118 is operatively engaged by the driving clutch element 120 so that the driving pinion 106 is operatively connected with the power shaft 108.

For the purpose of disconnecting the pinion 106 and the driven clutch member 118 from the power shaft 108 and connecting those elements with the hand drive shaft 114, a cam lug 150 on the shaft 114 is arranged to co-operate with which constitutes a bearing for one end of the shaft 114 in which the latter is adapted to turn and slide. The construction and arrangement of the cooperating lug 150 and slot 152 is such that when the shaft 114 is turned by means of the crank handle 116 the shaft 114 will also be moved in an axial direction, toward the left in Fig. 3 and against the force of the spring 146, to disengage the driven clutch member 118 from the power-operated driving element 120 and to engage the clutch member 118 with the manually-operated driving element 132. Upon release of the crank handle 116 by the operator (after turning the crank handle slightly one way or the other as may be necessary to bring the lug 150 into register with the slot 152) the spring 146 will function to slide the shaft 114 to the right in Fig. 3, thereby restoring the cam lug 150 into the position relatively to the cam slot 152'shown in Fig. 3, and also restoring the clutch elements into the relative positions shown in Fig. 3, and thus re-establishing connections between the feed wheel and the power shaft 108.

Under normal conditions the various elements of the driving mechanism for the feed wheel occupy the relative positions shown in Fig. v3.

When .the machine is started thefeed wheel,

will be driven at a relatively high speed by the power drive mechanism. The work is thus normally fed at relatively high speed, but at certain stages of the operationit may become desirable that the work shall be fed more slowly so that the operator may exercise a. greater degree of control. At this time, merely by turning the crank handle 116 the operator may disconnect the feed wheel from the power drive mechanism and automatically connect it with theshaft 114 on which the crank handle 116 is secured. Then by continuing to turn the crank handle the work will be fed at a relatively slow rate of speed dependent upon the speed at which the operator turns the crank handle, and the operator has complete control of the feeding of the work so long as he continues to turn the crank handle. Upon release of the crank handle by the operator, however, the spring 146 will function as above described to slide the shaft 114 together with the driven clutch member 118 toward the right in Fig. 3 and thus automatically to disconnect the feed wheel from the hand drive shaft 114 and to connect it with the power drive mechanism. The work is then fed at relatively high speed by power derived from the power-driven pulley 111.

The edge gage roll 14 is mounted to turn about a vertical axis upon ball bearings carried by a stud 162 which is received with provision for sliding adjustment in a horizontal socket v 164 in the frame 24. A binding screw 166 (Fig. 1') serves to secure the gage roll stud 162 in adjusted position with the periphery of the gage roll in engagement with the beveled face 48 of the feed wheel. A spring 168 is provided in the socket 164 behind the stud 162 to facilitate adjustment of the gage roll in position to be driven by frictional engagement with the feed wheel 12. When the binding screw 166 is loosened preparatory to readjustment of the gage roll 14 the stud 162 is prevented from turning in its socket and the gage roll 14 is maintained in operative position with its axis vertical, by-engagement of the projecting end of the stud 162 with two guard members 170, best shown in Fig. 5, which are arranged one at either side of the edge gage roll to prevent the marginal portion of a sole from becoming wedged between the feed wheel and the gage roll. Each of the guard members 170 has a work-engaging surface which is curved to correspond to that of the adjacent portion of the feed wheel and is located in alinement with the latter to avoid interference with the feeding of the work. As best shown in Fig. 5, each of the guard members 170 is shaped to conform to the contour of the edge gage roll and thus to fill the space between the gage roll and the feed wheel. The guard members 1'70 are secured by screws 1'72 to the feed wheel slide 26 and accordingly are movable vertically in unison with the feed wheel. 7

As herein shown, the channel knife 16 is se cured to a knife block (Fig. 3) which is mounted with provision for tilting adjustment about a center coincident with the tip of the knife in a knife block holder ,182 formed at the lower end of a vertical spindle 184. The spindle 184 is journaled in a carrier 186 mounted in the head 22. The knife block 180 is secured inadjusted position in the knife block holder 182. by

means of a clamp screw 188 which extends through a segmental slot 190 (Fig. 1) in the holder:182;and is threaded into the knife block.

' For the purpose of effecting accurate vertical positioning of the channel knife 16'relatively to the gage roll 14 and the work, the carrier186 is made vertically adjustable in the head 22 and is adapted to'be fixedly secured in adjusted position by means of a clamp screw 192 which extends through a vertical slot 194 in the head 22 and is threaded into the carrier 186. t its upper end the spindle 184 projects above the carrier 186' and has rigidly secured to its projecting end a boss 196 which bears on the upper side of the carrier and serves to retain the spindle within its bearing. The carrier 186 is preferably adjusted, as shown, so that the blade of the channel knife 16 is closely adjacent to the upper face of the edge gage roll 14. Thus there is substantially no gap between the channel knife and the gage roll into which any portion of the sole edge can be forced or become wedged so as to mutilate the sole edge or retard the feed of the sole. Inasmuch as neither the channel knife nor the gage roll is capable of yielding vertically the intimate relation of these parts will be preserved so as to insure that no gap vdll be opened up between them regardless of substantial variations in the thickness of the work.

The boss 196 carries a pair of upstanding lugs 198 between which oppositely extending trunnions 200 of a sleeve n1e1nber'201 are pivoted horizontally. The bore of the sleeve 201 extends at right angles to the common axis of its trunnions 200 and receives askew shaft or inclined pin 202 formed as an ex-axial extension of a horizontal shaft 204 which is journaled in the carrier 186 behind the spindle 184. The horizontal shaft 204 carries a belt pulley 206 which is connected by a belt 208 with a pulley 210 on the armature shaft of an electric motor 212 carried by the head 24. Theskew shaft 202 is disposed with its axis at a slight angle to the axis of the horizontal shaft 204 and the arrangement is further such that the axisof the skew shaft intersects the axis of the spindle 184 midway of the length of the sleeve 201 and at the point Where the common of the trunnions 200 also intersects the spindle axis. The above-described arrangement of parts is such that when the horizontal shaft 204 is driven, the skew shaft 202 is caused to gyrate in such a manner that its axis generates a double cone. Thus the sleeve 201 is caused to gyrate in consonance with the skew shaft 202 and this movement of gyration of the sleeve may be resolved into two components, one being a vertical component which is dissipated in the rocking of the sleeve trunnions in their bearings in the lugs on the boss, and the other being a horizontal component which is effected to oscillate the spindle 184, and thus to move the channel knife back and forth in the direction of work feed. Such movement of the channel knife facilitates the feeding of the work through the machine by lessening to a substantial extent the resistance offered by the work and consequently the pressure exerted against the work by the feed wheel may be less than is usually required, with the result that there is less liability of the work being mutilated by engagement of the teeth of the feed wheel therewith. The above-dc scribed mechanism for oscillating the channel knife provides for the translation of rotary motion into oscillatory motion by sliding friction alone and thus the channel knife may be oscillated at high speed without material vibration and consequent wear of the moving parts.

- The groovingknife 18 is of the usual tubular construction'and is mounted to oscillate about its longitudinal axis within a bearing in a knife block or carrier 216 which is secured to the lower end of a vertical slide 218 which is adjustably secured in a' suitable guideway in the head 22 at one side of the spindle 184. Vertical adjustment of the grooving knife slide 218 is effected by means of an adjusting bolt 220 (Fig. 2) which is arranged to turn in a bearing in the head and is threaded, at its lower end, into the slide 218.

For the purpose of lessening the resistance of fered by the grooving knife to the passageof the work through the machine and in order to insure the making of a cleaner cut by the grooving knife, the latter is rapidly oscillated while it is cutting by means of connections with the skew shaft 202. These connections comprise an arm 224 which extends radially from one end of the tubular grooving knife and a link (about to be further described) which connects the arm 224 with a pin 228 projecting from the free end of the skew shaft 202. In order to permit vertical adjustment of the grooving knife the link is made extensible and to this end the link comprises upper and lowersections 230 and 232, respectively, right and left threaded, the section 230 being secured to the pin 228 on the skew shaft 202 and the section 232 being secured to the arm 224 of the grooving knife, and the two link sections being connected by a turnbuckle 234 which may be turned to shorten or lengthen the link. It will be seen that through the connections just described the skew shaft 202 functions to oscillate both the grcoving-lmife and the channel knife in .such manner as materially to lessen the resistance of each of these knives to the feed of the work and thus to facilitate to a marked degree the passage of the work through the machine.

The presser foot 20 is fixedly secured by means of a screw 240 to a lug 242 projecting downwardly from a slide 244 which is mounted for vertical adjustment in ways formed in the head 22. An adjusting screw 246 carried by the head and engagingtheslide 244 provides means for vertically adjusting the slide and a binding screw 248 having threaded engagement with the slide and extending through a vertically elongated slot 250 in one side wall of the slideway in the head 22 serves rigidly to secure the slide 244 in adjusted position. By loosening the binding screw 248 and turning the adjusting screw 246 the presser foot carried by the slide 244 may be adjusted vertically relatively to the channel knife to determine the heigtwise position of the channel. 7

It is often desirable to vary the position of the channel and the groove transversely with respect to the sole edge While the sole is being fed through the machine, as for example in order to locate the groove and the root of the channel a greater distance from the sole edge at the shank than at the forepart. To enable this result to be obtained the head 22, which carries the channel knife and the grooving knife, is mounted for horizontal sliding movement at right angles to the direction of work feed. To this end the head 22 is slidably mounted in a guideway 254 in the frame 24. Normally the head 22 is maintained in a retracted position in the guideway 254 by means of a coiled spring 256 which is housed within a bore 258 in the head 22, one end of the spring bearing against a fixed abutment 260 and the other end against a cap plate 262 which closes the outerlend of thesoc'ket 258. The fixed abutment 260 consists of a rod which is fixedly secured at its opposite ends to the portions of the frame 24 and which extends through thesocket 258 in the head, the walls of the socket 258 being slotted as shown at 264 to permit horizontal sliding movement of the head 22. Rearward movement of the head 22 under the influence of the spring 256 is limited by means of a stop screw 266 hereinafter referred to.

In order to advance the head 22 during the operation of the machine, operator-controlled mechanism is provided comprising. a treadle 263 (Fig. 2) which is connected, by means of a link 270, with the forwardly extending arm of a threearm lever 2'72 which is pivoted at 274 to the frame 24.

An upwardly extending arm 276 of the lever 2'72 carries the stop screw 266 hereinbefore referred to while a rearwardly and downwardly curved arm 278 of the lever 272 is urged toward a position of engagement with the outside of the frame 24 by the force of the spring 256 acting through the cap plate 262 and stop screw 256. When the treadle 268 is released the lever 272 is positioned as shown in Fig. 3 and the head 22 occupies 21. normally retracted position wherein the channel knife is adapted to cut a channel of minimum depth. If it is desired to deepen the channel and to increase the distance between the groove and'the edge of the sole edge at any portion of the sole margin, as for example at the shank, the treadle 268 is depressed, thus swinging the lever 2'72 in a direction to slide the head 22 forwardly, thus to move the channel knife and the grooving knife inwardly with respect to the sole edge. These inner positions of the channel knife and grooving tool are determined by engagement of a stop screw 280 carried by the lever arm 276 with a fixed portion of the frame 24. The screw 280 is adapted to be turned to vary the positions of the channel knife and grooving tool when the latter are set to cut at a maximum distance from the sole edge. The rearward or retracted position of the head 22 is determined by means of the stop screw 266 and maybe varied by adjustment of that screw. The stop screws 266 and 280 are threaded through split hub portions in the arm 2'76 which are adapted to be contracted by'binding screws 282 and 284, respectively, to lock the stop screws in their adjusted positions.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a channeling machine, a channel knife and an edge gage roll each restrained against movement in directions widthwise of the edgeof a sole being operated upon, and a work-supporting feed wheel capable of yielding to accommodate variations in the thickness of the work and having driving engagement with said gage roll.

2. In a channeling machine, a channel knife, an edge gage roll and a presser foot each restrained against up-and-down movement, and a work-supporting feed wheel capable of moving up and down in accordance with variations in the thickness of the work and arranged to cooperate with said presser foot infeeding the work, said feed wheel having driving engagement with said gage roll.

3. In a channeling machine, a channel knife, an edge gage roll and a presser foot each restrained against up-and-down movement, a work supporting feed wheel capable of moving up and down in accordance with variations in the thickness of the'work and arranged to cooperate .withsaid presser foot in feeding the work, said channelknife and said gage roll being arranged in closely contiguous relation so that no substantial gap is present between them, and means for holding said gage roll against one side of said feed wheel.

4. In a channeling machine, channeling means,

an edge gage roll, and a driven work supporting feed wheel movable toward and from the channeling means in accordance with variations in the thickness of the work, the feed wheel being constructed and arranged to have frictional driving connection with the edge gage roll irrespective of changes of position of the feed wheel due to variations of work thickness.

5. In a channeling machine, channeling means, an edge gage roll, and a drivenwork supporting feed wheel having its axis inclined relatively to the axis of the gage roll, said feed wheel being mounted for movemcnt toward and from the channeling means'in accordance with variations in the thickness of the Work and having a surface shaped and arranged to maintain frictionaldriving engagement with the edge gage roll regardless of changes of position of the feed wheel due to variations of work thickness.

6. In a channeling machine, channeling means, an edge gage roll, and a driven work supporting feed wheel having a frusto-conical work engaging periphery, the axis of the feed wheel being inclined relatively to the axis of the gage roll and said feed wheel being mounted for movement toward and from the channeling means in accordance with variations in the thickness of the work and having a beveled lateral surface maintained in frictional driving engagement with the periphery of the edge gage roll regardless of changes of position of the feed wheel due to variations of work thickness.

7. In a machine for operating upon soles, an operating tool, and a work feeding device having a work engaging portion consisting of a plurality of rotary feeding members arranged to engage the margin of a sole at diiferentdistances from the sole edge, thefeeding member engaging nearest to the sole edge and the feeding member engaging farthest from the sole edge each being arranged for free movement but only within predetermined limits under the action of the sole in the line of movement of the sole.

8. In a machine for operating upon soles, an operating tool, and a feed wheel having a work engaging portion consisting of a plurality of disks disposed in side-by-side relation and arranged to engage the margin of a sole at different distances from the sole edge, each of said disks having an opening extending transversely therein, and a common driving member for the disks arranged in said openings, said openings and said driving member being relatively constructed and arranged to permit free movement within predetermined limits under the action of the sole of the disk engaging nearest to the sole edge and of the disk engaging farthest from the sole edge.

9. In a machine for'operating upon soles, an operating tool, a driven shaft, and a feed wheel on the shaft comprising two axially separated fe edingsections for engaging a sole at different distances from the sole edge, and slot-and-pin connections between said sections and the shaft constructed and arranged to permit free rotational movement of each section relatively to the shaft whereby one of said sections is free to turn faster than the shaft to accommodate swinging of the sole in one direction while the other of said sections is free to turn faster than the shaft to accommodate swinging of the sole in the opposite direction.

10. In a channeling machine, an edge gage roll, a feed wheel having its axis inclined relatively to the axis of the edge gage roll, said feed wheel having a surface adapted to be maintained in frictional driving engagement with the periphery of the gage roll, a support constructed and arranged to enable said feed wheel to yield under the pressure of the Work, and a guard having a surface curved to conform to the curvature of the periphery of the feed wheel and arranged substantially in alinement with the latter in a locality adjacent to the point of contact between the feedwheel and the gage roll.

11. In a channeling machine, an edge gage roll, a feed wheel having its axis inclined relatively to the axis of the gage roll and having a beveled lateral surface adapted to have frictional driving engagement with the periphery of the gage roll, a support constructed and arranged to enable said feed wheel to yield under the pressure of the work, a guard located at the entrance side of the gage roll shaped to fill the space between adjacent portions of the periphery of the gage'roll and said beveled surface of the feed wheel, and a support constructed and arranged to enable said guard to partake of the yielding movement of said feed wheel.

12. In a channeling machine, anon-yieldable edge gage roll, a feed wheel mounted to yield to accommodate variations in the thickness of the work, and a guard located at one side of the gage roll and shaped to fill the space between adjacent portions of the periphery of the gage roll and the periphery of the feed wheel, said guard being yieldable in unison with the feed wheel.

13. In a channeling machine, an edge gage roll, a feed wheel having its axis inclined relatively to the axis of the gage roll and having a beveled lateral surface adapted to have frictional feeding engagement with the periphery of the gage roll, and two guard members arranged one at either side of the gage roll to prevent the work from being out between the gage roll and the feed wheel.

14.,In a channeling machine, an adjustable edge gage roll, a feed wheel adapted to have frictional feeding engagement withthe gage roll, a spring arranged to hold the gage roll against the'feed wheel, and means for unyieldingly securing the gage roll in such position.

15. In a channeling machine, an edge gage roll, a work supporting feed wheel having its axis inclined relatively to the axis of the gage roll and being yieldable in accordance with the Variations in the thickness of the work, a head movable in a direction transverse to the direction of work feed, a channel knife carried by the head and arranged in closely contiguous relation to said gage roll, and means operable while a sole is being channeled for moving the head to vary the position of the channel knife transversely with respect to the direction of work feed.

16. In a channeling machine, an adjustable edge gage roll, a feed wheel adapted to have frictional feeding engagement with the gage roll,

and a spring arranged to urge the gage roll toward the feed wheel.

17. In a sole channeling machine, a work supporting feed wheel, means for rotating it continuously to feed a sole, means for forming a channel in the sole, means for forming a stitchreceiving grocve in the sole, and means for oscillating both the channeling and the grooving means while they are in operating position.

18. In a sole channeling machine, means for forming a channel in the sole, means for forming a stitch-receiving groove in the channel, and means for oscillating both the channeling means and the grooving means while they are in operating position.

19. In a sole channeling machine, means for forming a channel in the sole, means for forming a stitch-receiving groove in the channel, and means for oscillating the channeling tool to move its cutting edge lengthwise of the channel and for oscillating the grooving tool to move its cutting edge crosswise of the channel while it is cutting.

20. In a sole channeling machine, means for feeding a sole continuously, means for forming a channel in the sole, means for forming a stitchreceiving groove in the channel, means for oscillating the channel knife, and separate means for oscillating the grooving knife while it is forming the grove.

21. In a channeling machine, means for forming a channel in a solo, a tubular grooving knife for forming a stitch-receiving groove in the channel, means for oscillating the channeling knife, and means for oscillating the tubular grooving knife about its longitudinal axis.

22. In a channeling machine, means for feeding a sole through the machine, a channel knife movable lengthwise of the direction of feed for forming a channel in a sole, a tubular grooving knife mounted to oscillate about its longitudinal axis for forming a stitch-receiving groove in the channel, means for oscillating the channel knife, and means for oscillating the grooving knife.

23. In a channeling machine, in combination, means for feeding a sole through the machine, a channel knife mounted to oscillate to move its cutting edge back and forth in the line of work feed, a tubular grooving knife mounted to oscillate about its longitudinal axis, a rotating driving shaft, and connections between said shaft and said knives constructed and arranged to oscillate said knives.

24. In a channeling machine, in combination, means for feeding a sole through the machine, a channel knife, a grooving knife, a rotating shaft having an ex-axial portion, a sleeve in which said cx-axial portion is journaled, connections between said sleeve and the channel knife for imparting oscillatory movement to the latter, and connections between said ex-axial portion of the driving shaft and the grooving knife for imparting oscillatory movement to the grooving knife.

25. In a channeling machine, in combination, sole feeding means, a channel knife, a grooving knife, a driven gyratory member, means operated by said member for reciprocating the channel knife, and means operated by said member for oscillating the grooving knife.

JOHN H. SMITH. 

